Scottish events in four a treat

Photo: Gary Williamson

Four public events are set to benefit from crucial support in the coming months, following the awarding of £32,500 through round 33 of the EventScotland National Programme.

The events taking place in the Highlands and Scottish Borders will receive grants from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, in order to enhance event delivery and ensure wide variety is maintained across Scotland’s events portfolio.

Strathpuffer 24, a mountain bike endurance in Strathpeffer over 24 hours from January 21-22 is the first of the four events to arrive on Scotland’s 2017 calendar, followed by Hawick’s Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival from March 2-5.

Loch Ness will provide the setting for the remaining two events to receive support in this funding round. Thousands of keen cyclists will take to the banks of Scotland’s most famous body of water for popular sportive, Etape Loch Ness, on April 23, while participants in Quest Scotland, part of the Quest Adventure Series, will run, cycle and kayak their way over the same landscape in June.

National Programme funding supports the strategic development of events which occur outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the aim of driving domestic tourism, delivering economic impact for local communities and generating media profile for Scotland.

Building upon existing event activities, extending marketing reach and enhancing the on-site food and drink offer are just some of the ways national programme funds are often put to use.

Stuart Turner, Head of EventScotland, said:“The National Programme plays an important role in providing events with the support they require, both in terms of finance and through the expertise of the EventScotland team, to extend their reach and provide an enhanced experience for all attendees and participants.

“These events are often some of the most unique occasions to feature on Scotland’s annual events calendar and, as such, they are crucial in maintaining the variety within our national events portfolio and in retaining Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events.”